Fluid control



Sept. 13, 1955 J. M. CHlLES FLUID CONTROL Filed July 21. 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l -Fig. 1

JOHN M. CHILES AT'VTORNEY Sept. 13, 1955 J. M. CHILES 2,717,396

FLUID CONTROL Filed July 21, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M/ 0 I k\\\\\\\\\\\ \5 United States Patent 2,717,39 FLUID O T QL John M. Chile s, Asheville, (1.

Application July 21, 1953, Serial No.

Claims. (Cl. 4-41 This invention is in a sanitary apparatus and particularly is a flushing system and control therefor for water closets.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a flushing apparatus of the nature indicated which is quieter in' operation than conventional arrangements.

An additional object is to provide a flushing apparatus which is simplified by the airangernents of certain parts'which in conventional structures are susceptible'to damage and deterioration.

A further object is to provide a flushing apparatus which'is very quick in operation in that the emptying and the' filling of the storage tank take place simultaneously.

Another object is to provide a structure of the nature mentioned in which the valve controlling the emptying of the storage tank is unseated responsive to pressure of incoming water.

' A more specific object is to provide in a flushing apparatus an initial electric control and "means automatically transferring control to a second electric circuit Other objects will be apparent from a reading of the following specification and claims. i In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective showing of a water tank for a toilet, partly broken away to disclose the principal features of my invention; Figure 2 is an elevation partly in cross section of certain of the elements of my invention; and

Figure 3 is an elevation largly in section of a portion of a modified form of my invention.

" Referring now especially to Figure l, 1 represents a water tank such as is'conventionall'y located above a toilet bowl, although it will be understood, of 'cours'e, that such a tank, together with its lcontrolsfcan' befutili'zed wherever a' fiushing'action is "desi red. A water ma n '2 furnishes water to theta'nk'through an intake pipe which passes through the'bottom' of the tank' in a gasket 10, stuffing box, or the like, the intake pipe being'conventional except at the upper portion thereof where it is shown somewhat enlarged at 11.

' The enlargement, as will be seen, especially in Figure 2, comprises a cylinder in which moves a piston 12. Rigidly secured to the piston and extending upwardly therefrom is a rod 13 which passes through a plug 14 to the exterior of the cylinder where it is bent downwardly to form an arm 15 which extends approximately parallel to the intake pipe through a guide 16 arranged in a plate 17.

Pivotally attached at 18 to the lower extremity of the arm 15 is a latch 18, roughly semicircular in formation and including at one end thereof a lug or protrusion 19 which will be later described more fully.

Extending from the cylinder 11 is a filler pipe 22 which communicates with the cylinder through an orifice 23, and extending from filler pipe 22 is an overflow tube 24 which communicates with an overflow pipe 25 substantially standard in construction.

A valve seat is arranged in the bottom of the tank,

Th'lifting of piston 12 and with 7 2,717,396 Patented Ssnt- ,3 1.???

"ice

it being through this valve that water for a flushing operation actually is delivered to a bowl, and the valve seat 30 is normally closed by a valve 31 of rubber orso'me similar material as is customary, the valve having a guide rod '32, witha' loop 32 or other stop at the upper extremity. 'The guide rod extends vertically and' passes through a guide 33 formed in bracket 34 secured i'r'i a'ny convenient fashion to overflow pipe 25, 'as' by screw A furthermember in the nature of a lever 4,0 arranged within the. tank, and this is supported pivotally at one end a convenient distance from theplate 17 as by arm 40, the other end of the lever being provided with a loop 42 surrounding guide rod 32 of'valve-3l1, loop ;42 being" smaller in size than loop 32'. Loop 42 is not in fact formed as an integral partof lever'40 but has a shank 42' which is arranged for easy'sliding engage erlt within and axially of lever 40 for a purpose to beher after' described. Arm 40 is normally supported by latch 18. V I I I V The tank also contains, in the upper portion thereof and approximately at the normal water line of the tank when full, a position-sensitive switch 50, for example, a mercury switch, pivotally fastened between the arms 51 and 52 of a bracket 53, which is in turn secured m the wan of thetank in any convenient fashion. Switch Sllis arranged normally to float upon the water in a level 'thus open condition.

Externally of the tank and cooperating with the water main 2 and certain of the other elements already; frienti ed are a strainer '60 and air chamber' 6 1 ',"a solenoidoperated'valve 6 2 and a transformer 63 connected to inputmains 64, the transformer being of step-down type 'so'a's to provide a low voltage control for the sy'stert i. Mercury switch" 50 serves as one 'cohtrol for the to transformer 63, and a second switch 65, prefer'a ly in the nature of a push button, is arranged at any conyenient location and connected inparallel with the r'n'e'rfcil ry switch. x i f Assuming the tank to be properly connected to some receptacle to be flushed and to contain its normal supply of water so that mercury switch 50ffloats levelandi in open condition, operation of the system is initiated closing switch 65 and the secondary circuit of'the ansformer 63, it being understood that with the primary of the'trans'former connected to the mains 64, andclo'sed,

99??! i entirely the swndar r ui h s en gizes solenoid 62 and opens its associatedvalve to allow water to'flow (preferably) under full main pressure "nt'o intake pipe 10 where it is forced upwardlyagainst p; oil 12 and thereby raises the piston above orifice23 whereupon water begins to flow into the tank thr'oii'gh' filler pipejzz'; L

v v t a liar-15 4 50 lifts lever'40 upon its pivot '40 whereuponloop lfabuts hip 32' to raise valve 31 from its seat 30, the water thereupon rushing out of the tank.

The lifting of arm 15 very quickly brings lug 19 of latch 18 into contact with plate 17 which action serves to rotate the latch somewhat upon its pivot 18. The rotatory movement of latch 18 releases lever 40 so that loop 42 loses control of ball valve 31 which, under the influence of gravity, reseats itself in due course. During pivotal movement of lever 40, shank 42 of loop 42 moves inwardly and outwardly within the lever as is necessary to avoid binding of the parts. i

The flow of water from the tank, incident to the lifting of valve 31 as earlier described, of course causes mercury switch 50 to tilt and thereby to close a further circuit in the secondary of transformer 63. The control of the system, in other words, is initially but only momentarily in switch 65, it being taken over almost immediately by switch 50 which remains closed until it again reaches a level condition which occurs when the water is at its preselected depth.

Figure 3 illustrates a modified form of my invention, only the cylinder and its immediately cooperating parts being shown, it being understood that in principle the device is like that described in connection with Figures 1 and 2.

In Figure 3, cylinder 70 approximates cylinder 12 of the earlier description. While it is shown somewhat more elongated, this is largely a matter of design. Within the cylinder 70 is a piston 71, and this piston will, normally, be seated upon a peripheral ledge 72 located just above an intake pipe 73 comparable to intake pipe 10 of Figures 1 and 2.

In initial condition, piston 71 is secured to a shaft 74 (in the nature of a hollow pipe) by latching means 76-77, these being two fingers pivoted at 78 within the shaft, and normally extending outwardly through the walls thereof through slots 80 and 81. It will be understood that shaft 74 is adapted for a sliding fit through the upper and lower ends 82 and 83, respectively, of the cylinder, and the piston 71 is also adapted to slide upon the shaft except to the extent that it is locked thereon by means 76-77.

In the upper portion of cylinder 70 are located a filler pipe 90 and an overflow tube 91, analogous respectively to members 22 and 24, Figure 2. At the lower end of shaft 74 is secured a valve 95 which actually governs the flow of water from a storage tank. The structure is adapted to be mounted conveniently within such a tank as by means 96 which may be secured to an overflow pipe, analogously to the showing of Figure 1. It will be seen that, if water from the main supply is admitted through inlet 73, piston 71 will be immediately forced up, carrying with it shaft 74 through the medium of latches 76-77, and valve 95 will be unseated, allowing water to escape from the tank for a flushing operation.

As the piston continues to move upwardly, and as it approaches the upper extremity of the cylinder, filler pipe 90 is opened, and the tank begins to fill. At approximately the same time, latch members 76-77 are closed (as shaft 74 passes through the upper end 82 of the cylinder), and the shaft and its attached valve fall, and the valve seats itself. Under the control of a mercury switch or other instrumentality, the water supply is finally shut off, and piston 71 moves down shaft 74, past latches 76-77, and the parts assume their original conditions.

The foregoing description is in specific terms, and

many modifications will suggest themselves so that for the true scope of the invention reference should be had to the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a flushing apparatus, a fluid supply, valve means for controlling the same, means for opening said valve, a storage tank having an outlet and a valve normally seated therein to close the same and an intake pipe connected to said supply and with a housing member, a piston movable within said housing and having a normal position therein such that it can be acted upon by fluid pressure and thereby be moved to another position, a filler pipe normally closed by said piston to said fluid supply but opened thereto when said piston is moved to its said other position, means for connecting said piston to said outlet valve to unseat the latter upon movement of the former from its normal position, means for disconnecting the said outlet valve from said piston and reseating the same after a predetermined interval, means for closing said first-mentioned valve when a predetermined amount of fluid has accumulated within said tank, means for restoring said piston to its normal position.

2. In combination with a source of fluid, a valve controlling said source, a tank for fluid connected with said source having an outlet in the lower portion thereof and a normally seated valve closing said outlet, a housing in said tank having an upper portion and a lower portion, a shaft extending through said housing and slidably movable therein, a piston slidably mounted on said shaft and movable within said housing said piston having a normal position adjacent said lower portion of said housing and being adapted to be moved by fluid pressure from said source adjacent said upper portion, means connecting said shaft and said valve, means latching together said piston and said shaft during movement of the former toward its said other position and releasable adjacent said other position to cause said shaft to return to its initial position.

3. The invention of claim 2 further characterized by fluid-level-sensitive means for closing said first-mentioned valve.

4. The invention of claim 2 further characterized by means for opening said first-mentioned valve and means dependent thereon for restoring said piston to its normal position.

5. In combination with a source of fluid, a valve controlling said source, a tank for fluid connected with said source having an outlet in the lower portion thereof and a normally seated valve closing said outlet, a housing in said tank having an upper portion and a lower portion located substantially vertically above said outlet valve, a shaft extending substantially vertically through said housing and slidably movable therein, a piston slidably mounted on said shaft and movable within said housing said piston having a normal position adjacent said lower portion of said housing and being adapted to be moved by fluid pressure from said source adjacent said upper portion, means connecting said shaft and said valve, means latching together said piston and said shaft during movement of the former toward its said other position and releasable adjacent said other position to cause said shaft to return to its initial position.

No references cited. 

